Whangārei pensioner Bruce Tebbutt says he's noticed the price of everything increasing recently.

"Groceries, power and petrol which I guess are all the obvious ones."

He has other income streams as well as receiving NZ Super, which meant his household was more able to absorb the increases, but says he could see why many could not.

"I was really aware when doing supermarket shopping recently how much things had risen in cost."

If his circumstances were different, he said he probably would have been looking to return to the workforce - if he could find a job.

Data from Stats NZ this week showed he isn't the only one feeling the pressure. S.

Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold said electricity, up 12%, and rates up 8.8%, were big drivers of the increase for pensioner households. Petrol was also a factor.

Karen Billings-Jensen, chief executive at Age Concern, said 40% of retired households only had NZ Super as their income.

"It's that challenge of a fixed income… as cost goes up, it just makes things much tougher. We know that rates of home ownership are slightly higher in older people… 66 percent of those over 65 own their own home. That's where things like the huge rates increase we've seen across most council areas has had an impact because it's those fixed costs, rates, insurance…"

She said people who owned their own homes also had challenges when it came to repairs and maintenance.

Some older people were also still supporting their children and grandchildren, she said.

"They're cutting back to do that. We get concerned when we hear that people are cutting back on meals, particularly because of the impact the reduced nutrition will have on the ageing process, on healing, wound healing, on strength and balance… when you're on that fixed income when there are life shocks you may not have anything to draw on in terms of if you have a car suddenly needing to replace a tyre or things like that.

"It can be quite simple things that make it really difficult."

Data from financial mentor network Fincap showed that mentoring clients aged over 65 were spending 42% of their income on rent or board, which was the second-highest of any age range. They were spending 14% on debt repayment, the joint second-highest group.

Billings-Jensen said some were turning to food banks for help.

David Verry, a financial mentor at North Harbour Budgeting Services, said the downside to home ownership in retirement was rates and insurance increases.

He said he felt power was also going to be a big issue for many pensioners this election.

"For those that also have health insurance - very few as many will have abandoned due to the other cost increases, it's even worse. By way of example, my health insurer increased our premiums by 30% this year so we've increased our excesses to bring the cost down...and then of course increased fuel prices as a further nail in the inevitable coffin."

Eckhold's colleague, senior economist Satish Ranchhod, said a reason that superannuitant households stood out in the data was that they had not benefited from a drop in home loan interest costs over the year, which had helped many others.

"The biggest factor that has reduced households' living costs over the past year has been the fall in mortgage interest costs. But superannuitants are less likely to have a mortgage than those who are in their 30s or 40s, for example. So they wouldn't have felt the same relief in living costs that some other New Zealanders have.

"However, the pressure on the cost of essentials has been felt by all income groups including superannuitants, with big increases for items like fuel, electricity, and council rates. Food costs are also a big concern for a lot of families."